Show find unknown ri river ver in northern alaska interesting letter tells life in far north washington U D C the story of an explorers explore es life in i ie e northern alaskan wilderness and I 1 i e discovery of un charted streams i contained in tit a let ter brought back 0 civilization by an eskimo from the geological survey party headed by I 1 ar or philip S smith and made public I 1 t v the interior department part ment the ex expedition edition Is exploring petroleum rescue 0 no o 4 in exploring the colville alier the letter written ritten march starch 30 states that doctor smith found a river it about bout yards wide v which aich flows flow westward esaw urd and then turns northward the party plans to continue the river explore eions but they must reach the coast in time to catch the he last ship out of the arctic ocean before the september freeze find grove of willow the party has established a base camp at the head of the serak river abbit ten miles from the divide between the Unakie rak and find colville rivers at latitude 67 37 45 30 at an in alit tude of 2 2200 1100 feet on this divide the party has dise discovered groves of willow trees as large na nil a man mane a wrist m which aich they are using for fuel the letter explained that the supporting party of seven men and dogs turned back on march ag and the main expedition was proceeding vi falth ith three sleds and thirty three dogs the sleds soon will be abandoned and the journey continued in canoes on the colville river the letter which wag uns written by dr J B mertle jr gives the following description during the summer I 1 have been engaged chiefly in making astro nond cal observations with the transit I 1 have seven good observation observations on latitude and azimuth which check one another very ery well able to find the time HILT having 1119 my azimuth I 1 also have local time from transits of the sun and what with etli watches and their known ratings we are in a position to make a fair computation of longitude I 1 am also able to rate our watches from successive e transits of the sun day after day at this camp such diversion keeps me very busy and the days pass very quickly once in a while say once a day when it gets too cold sitting in the tent I 1 wann warm up by cutting wood for a halt half hour or an hour all of us are well none of us have been seriously frostbitten yet and I 1 think the most severe weather of the winter ie Is past now so all in all everything Is going fine and the success of the derpo expedition seems assured just tel tell 1 that to the doubters |